Geoff Mulgan

Connexity Geoff Mulgan

Marc Notes: Tension between ever-expanding connectivity & demands for autonomy; First pub'd in UK by Chatto in 1997. Publisher Marketing: Ideologies of freedom are driving the global economy: the diffusion of technology, capital, and knowledge allows an ever-expanding proportion of the world's workforce to enjoy the freedoms of choice, speech, and expression. Yet, as the prosperity of individuals and businesses hinges upon distant markets, consumers, and investors, these freedoms have created a new universal dependence. This growing interdependence, or "connexity, " links our destinies and defines our times. Connexity, an inspiring new book by Geoff Mulgan, contends that although the pursuit of individual freedom is frequently at odds with the progress of global connectedness, the two forces must work in tandem if freedom is to flourish. Business, according to Mulgan, is fundamentally linked to our greater existence, and we must conduct it accordingly. Drawing upon an impressive array of ideas-from evolutionary psychology and moral philosophy to the predictions of business gurus-Mulgan argues passionately that to synchronize the forces of freedom and connection, we must go beyond our sense of ourselves and our businesses as isolated units, and embrace the webs of mutual dependability in which we live. "Boldly attempts to rethink the nature of political, economic, and moral structures.... Mulgan's argument is that societies are passing from dependence on tradition and hierarchy through the independence of liberal individualism to interdependence.... If you feel we spend too little time asking what capitalism is really for...connect with this book."--Financial TimesPublisher Marketing: Analyzes the increasing interdependence of the world's markets, politics, and technology, showing how the progress of global connectedness depends on the advance of individual freedom across the world. Review Citations: Booklist 05/15/1998 pg. 1569 (EAN 9780875848501, Paperback) Contributor Bio:  Mulgan, Geoff Geoff Mulgan is the author of "Good and Bad Power" (Penguin) and "The Art of Public Strategy", among other books. A globally recognized pioneer in the field of social innovation, he was the founder of the think tank Demos and served as director of the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit and director of policy under Tony Blair. He is currently chief executive of the UK's National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts.